Once a small village hamlet in the parish of Edmonton, Winchmore Hill borders Palmers Green, Southgate, Edmonton, Enfield Chase and Bush Hill Park. At the heart is Winchmore Hill Green, a village green surrounded by shops and restaurants. The nearest Underground station is at Southgate which is on the Piccadilly Line.
Of particular note in Winchmore Hill is Grovelands Park which originated as a private estate before being partly being sold to the council in 1913. What remained in private hands, is the famous Priory Clinic.
Prior to occupation by the Romans, the area was occupied by the Catuvellauni tribe. It is believed that this tribe built an ancient hill fort on the mound where the Bush Hill Park Golf clubhouse now stands.
The earliest recorded mention of Winchmore Hill is in a deed dated 1319 in which it is spelt Wynsemerhull. By 1565 the village was known as Wynsmorehyll, becoming Winchmore Hill by the time it was mentioned in state papers in 1586.
Old Park Ridings, Winchmore Hill
There are many buildings of historical note in Winchmore Hill including St Paul’s Church, being built as a Waterloo Church on land donated from the Grovelands estate. The church ceiling was the largest unsupported expanse of plasterwork in Europe until its renovation in the 1960s introduced concealed supports. The original wooden clapperboard St Paul’s School building can be seen a little further down Church Hill.
The oldest pub in the district is probably the Green Dragon on Green Lanes. It is reputed to have started in 1726 on the junction of Green Lanes and Green Dragon Lane. Then, highwaymen were hanged near to where they were caught. The original Green Dragon was pulled down in 1892 and the new one was extensively remodelled in 1935. Victorian County History reveals that by 1752 The Orange Tree, The Green Dragon and The Kings Head were all established, although not in their present form.
In 1865 the Great Northern Railway Company obtained permission to build a new line to run from Wood Green to Hertford through Palmers Green and Enfield. Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill were to be the intervening rural stations. The branch opened on 1 April 1871. An electric tramway along Green Lanes from Palmers Green was developed in 1907 helping to further develop the area.
